The Heartbreak Club
by ShatteredShadows
Summary: On permanent HIATUS. Gabriella and her friends were known as the Heartbreak Club, because that's just what they did, break hearts. But when Gabriella meets Troy Bolton, who will end up with the broken heart?
1. Heartbreak is My Hobbie

**Yes! Finally I have this chapter done! For those who were waiting for this story, I wasn't slacking off. I've been working on this for AGES and I think I finally made it decent enough to put here. Warning to the fans of my other stories: This story is rated T for cursing, only a few minor things but all the same.**

**Okay. So here is The Heartbreak Club. Yay! (does a dorky dance) Alright, now this chapter is testing the water. Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: I won HSM from its owner by beating him in a pig race. Yeahh. And I also bought the moon. Haha, pig racing skills can get you far in life...**

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Chapter One

Heartbreak is My Hobby

Gabriella Montez took a sip of her mango smoothie and leaned back in her chair. She was surrounded by her three best friends, Sharpay, Taylor, and Kelsi. They were sitting at a table outside of The Coffee Bean.

"And he won't stop calling me. I think I might have to change my phone number." Kelsi sighed.

"Look, he's just not over you yet. Guys always stay around longer than you want them to. That's one of the tough things about being in the Heartbreak Club." Sharpay claimed, taking a big gulp of her frozen beverage.

Gabriella and her friends were known as the Heartbreak Club, because that's exactly what they did. They dated guys, and then dumped them in the harshest of ways. They had earned the name in college, where they had met. After graduation, the club moved in together and continued their hobby.

Their apartment was barely used, for they were usually living with their current boyfriend/victim. But it was paid for by Sharpay, whose father was spectacularly wealthy.

Kelsi was complaining about the guy she had just dumped, Kevin. He had fallen hard for her and demanded that she give him a reason to why she ended it.

"Yeah, change your number. Then he'll get the picture." Taylor suggested.

"Yeah, I agree with Taylor. Speaking of Taylor, what's up with you and Chad?" Gabriella questioned.

"Puh-lease, I ended that two days ago. I'm back in Solitary." Taylor huffed. Solitary was the name they gave their apartment, because living there usually meant that you were single.

"Okay, since we're on the subject of break-ups, its time to end it between you and Gary. And you know we love to hear about your break-ups, there always so bitter!" Sharpay squealed.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. Suddenly the song "Maneater" started playing through the pocket of Gabriella's jeans. She whipped out her phone and pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Oh, hey…The park?...sure…okay, bye." Gabriella snapped her phone shut. "It was Gary, he wants to meet me in the park for something _important_." Gabriella smiled.

"Oh my god, if he wants to pop the question then it'll hurt sooo much more! Make sure you look perfect, show him what he will never have." Kelsi smiled.

Gabriella quickly fixed her hair and make up, then smoothed her shirt. She said goodbye to her friends and walked over to the curb. She flew out her hand and yelled "Taxi!"

A cab stopped in front of her and she climbed inside. "Whe'e to, miss?" The driver asked. He was shabby and overweight, not someone Gabriella would want to get to know.

"Central park, and fast." Gabriella demanded. The driver immediately sped off.

"So, ya got a name?" The cab driver asked in a strong New York accent.

"Gab." Gabriella told him. She never told strangers her full name in case they were a stalker or something.

"Nice name. My name's Pete. Ya got any hobbies?" Pete asked as he pulled up to Central Park.

"Heartbreak is my hobby." Gabriella smiled as she handed him his money and stepped out of the taxi. She searched around for Gary, and finally spotted him sitting on a bench looking at the ground.

Gabriella sped over to him, she couldn't wait to rip his heart to shreds.

"Hey, hottie." Gabriella cooed. Gary immediately looked up and smiled. He had slightly handsome features, with shaggy blond hair and deep ocean green eyes.

"Hey, baby. I was just thinking." He told her. Gabriella looked at him questioningly. She sat down on his lap and placed her arms around his neck.

"About us. I love you so much, you know that." Gary explained, smiling sheepishly.

"Yeah, I know that. And I want you to know that I love you with all of my heart and I want to be with you forever. I want to die with you by my side." Gabriella said sweetly. She pulled his face close to hers and kissed him with all of the passion she could muster.

"I love you too, Gabriella. And, well, will you follow me?" He asked, taking her hand. Gabriella put on a fake smile, knowing where this was going. She jumped of his lap and onto the grass.

"I'd follow you into the gates of hell." Gabriella said, trying to sound lovestruck. In truth, Gabriella believed that she couldn't fall in love with any man. The only people she loved were her family and the rest of the Heartbreak Club.

Gary led her through the park until they reached a clearing at the side of the lake. Gabriella smiled, and held her hand over her heart. There was a blanket with a picnic set up on it.

"Okay, close your eyes." Gary instructed. Gabriella closed her eyes tightly. She felt Gary lead her somewhere.

"Okay, now open them." Gary ordered. Gabriella snapped open her eyes and looked around. They were standing on the blanket, but other than that, there was nothing special going on.

"Am I supposed to be seeing something important, my love?" Gabriella asked. Gary just smiled and pointed up. Gabriella gazed up and gasped. In the sky, an airplane had written the words _Marry Me Gabriella?_.

Gabriella smiled, trying to act excited. She grabbed Gary and crashed her lips onto his. She immediately deepened the kiss. When they finally separated, Gary had a smile stretched across his face. She then twisted her face into a unpleasant scowl.

"I hate you." Gabriella growled. Gary stepped back, surprised by her sudden change of tone.

"W-what?! B-but, all of that s-stuff you said!" Gary looked around frantically, as if looking for a sign that said "You've just been Punk'd". Gabriella threw her head back and cackled.

"Are you kidding me? You are an idiot. All of that about loving you, those were all despicable lies. I hate you from the bottom of my heart. You were just a good time. Actually, no. You were a horrendous time. And I am overjoyed that we are finally over and I don't have to see your repulsive face _ever_ again!" Gabriella spat.

Gary shook his head furiously. "Are you on drugs or something?" Gary screamed, praying that was the reason she was acting like this.

"Of course I'm not on drugs, you imbecile! I just hate you. You are a no good, dirty rotten, pig that deserves to go burn in the fiery pits of hell for all perpetuity!" Gabriella barked, throwing back her head and letting another malicious cackle escape her mouth.

Gabriella walked over towards the track, followed closely by Gary. "Maybe you just need to rethink this." Gary begged.

Gabriella laughed. She saw a good looking runner coming her way. He had dark brown hair and a muscular build. When he was passing her, she grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him in to her front. She snaked her arms around his waist and pulled his body into hers.

"Um, what are you doing?" The runner asked, even though it was obvious that he was taking pleasure in being this close to such a beautiful woman.

"Don't pretend that you're not enjoying being so close to me. I know you do, because I can tell that you're trying to hide a smile." Gabriella chuckled. The runner's face turned red. He looked around to see if anyone was watching.

Gabriella leaned up and kissed him right on the mouth. She thrust her tongue into his mouth and allowed him to do the same. She heard someone breathing deeply, trying not to cry, and knew that Gary was utterly devastated.

She pulled back from the runner and looked straight into his eyes. She noticed that he had spectacularly green eyes. She went up on her toes, for he was fairly tall, and brushed her lips onto his ear.

"I just need to get this guy away from me." She whispered. The man nodded his head. Gabriella turned to look at Gary, whose face was red with fury. Before she could say anything, he stormed off towards the lake.

Gabriella pulled herself away from the runner. He smiled uncomfortably.

"Um, you're welcome. But…I'm kind of…well…married. So…this won't really work out." The man confessed, expecting her to be angry.

"Oh, well don't worry. I wasn't expecting a relationship, I was just trying to end _that _one." Gabriella explained.

She did have a heart buried under all of her spite. And part of it envied true love. She secretly wished for a knowledge of what true love felt like, but her mind was more powerful than her heart. And her mind blocked out all romantic feelings for men. Romance and chemistry made breaking up harder than it needed to be.

"Great. You know, I have a brother. He's only 24, I'm 26. I can set you two up if you'd like." The man suggested. Gabriella thought it over. The man's brother was the same age as her. And maybe his good looks were genetic.

"Okay, set us up. Here's my number. Oh, and thanks…uh…" Gabriella realized that she didn't know the man's name as she handed him a slip of paper with her the number of her cell phone on it.

"Kyle Bolton. And my brother's name is Troy." The man smiled. He then continued on running. About ten minutes later, Gabriella decided that she should retrieve her belongings from Gary's apartment.

She took out her phone and dialed his number, and was not surprised when the answering machine picked it up.

"Hi, this is Gary. I'm not home right now, so leave a message after the beep. _Beeeeeeep_."

Gabriella had been thinking of something to say, but it took her a few moments to recount her choice of words.

"Hey, asshole. I just wanted you to know that I'll be stopping by your shithole for my stuff. Oh, and by the way, you suck. And another thing, that runner was a way better kisser than you." Gabriella spat. She loved to ruin guys like this.

She called a cab and about 7 minutes later, she was standing outside of Gary's apartment door. She opened the door with her key and walked inside. The apartment was normal size, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living area.

She went into the bedroom and pulled out her suitcase from under the bed. She opened her drawer and pulled out the few belongings she kept at Gary's home. She never brought much when she 'moved in' because she knew it wouldn't last too long.

After she was finished packing she walked into the living area. She inhaled the scent, it stunk of Gary. She pulled her perfume bottle out of her suitcase and sprayed it in the air. It now smelled of sweet strawberries. But that wasn't enough.

Gabriella sprayed his couch, his carpet, his bed, and practically everything else in his apartment with her perfume. Now he would be left with her haunting smell for months to come.

But Gabriella needed a finishing touch that would mortify Gary, but that he wouldn't notice at first. She tried desperately to think of an idea, but nothing came to mind. She finally thought of something good enough to inflict him with.

Gabriella tiptoed over to his answering machine, even though Gary wasn't home and there was no one to catch her if she was loud. Gabriella pressed the record button on the machine and smiled as if she were auditioning for a role in a major film.

"Hi, you've reached Gary's house. He's currently being an ASSHOLE and you'd be better off not leaving a message. If you ever do converse with him, you will be petrified by the intolerably obnoxious noise that escapes his lips. I strongly recommend NOT leaving a message and urge you to deny ever having a single connection to this duplicitous TOAD!" Gabriella screamed. She removed her finger and smiled, she'd hate to be the next one to call_ his_ house.

She strutted out of the apartment and into the hallway, her suitcase rolling behind her. She hastily made her way to the elevator. The last thing she wanted was another spat with Gary.

Unexpectedly, a door swung open and striked her in the face. Gabriella fell to the floor with a thud. She rubbed her throbbing nose.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry. Are you okay?" A deep voice inquired. Gabriella looked up and discovered an extremely handsome face looking down at her. He strongly resembled the runner she had seen. He had a similar bone structure in his face, the same strong build, and almost the exact same hair, except that his was a sandy brown.

"Yeah, I'm fine. My nose just hurts a little. Who are you? I lived here, um…until _recently_…and never saw you." Gabriella asked.

"Oh, I just moved in. My name's Troy." The man explained, outstretching his arm to help her up. Gabriella grabbed his hand and felt a sudden shiver run throughout her entire body. She dropped his hand and fell onto the floor once again.

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Troy asked her. Gabriella desperately tried to remember why his name sounded familiar, but nothing came to mind.

"Oh, um, yeah. But I think that I'll get up by myself." Gabriella smiled. She pushed herself off the ground and stood up. She looked straight into Troy's eyes and saw that they were amazingly blue. She quickly glimpsed at his clothing and saw that he was dressed rather casually.

"Do you want to come in?" Troy asked, pointing towards the inside of his apartment.

"No thank you. I have somewhere I need to be." Gabriella lied. She felt the urge to go inside his apartment and talk with him for hours, but the thought scared her. The way he made her heart feel like it was trying to beat its way through her ribs was not something she was used to.

"Oh, that's cool. Well, I have things I have to do anyway. Hopefully I'll see you around sometime." He said. Gabriella was surprised that he didn't seem disappointed that she'd turned him down.

Gabriella continued down the hallway and thought about what he had said. If he had things he needed to do, then why had he invited her inside? Would he of made time for her? Gabriella smiled at the thought.

The elevator doors slid open, and a little girl ran out.

"Carly, come back here!" A man chuckled. He stepped out of the elevator with a woman by his side. They were obviously married, and the little girl was their daughter. Gabriella smiled as they chased the little girl down the hallway.

Gabriella watched the family and wished that she could have a family of her own. The sound of the elevator door closing quickly brought her out of her reverie. She flung her arm into the small space between the doors, which opened once again for her. She couldn't believe that she had actually thought of starting something stupid like that.

Having a family was not her thing. She was a proud member of The Heartbreak Club, and that would never change.

* * *

Gabriella walked the two blocks down to her apartment complex and entered the front door. The building was very large with marble floors and pillars in the lobby. The elevator doors were painted gold and large decorative plants sat against the walls. In the center of the lobby was a fountain that graduated in golden tiers. 

The large lobby was empty except for the man at the front desk. He was fairly old, Gabriella guessed 65 years of age.

"Hey, Robert." Gabriella smiled. The elderly man looked up and smiled back at her.

"Why hello, Miss Montez. How was your day?" Robert asked. Robert was like a father figure to Gabriella, for her own had died when she was a child. Ever since she and her friends had moved in after college, Robert had become determined to make Gabriella a better person.

"It was good. I…um…broke up with Gary." Gabriella mumbled, looking down at the white marble floor. Every time she told Robert about her break-ups, she feared his opinion on her would change.

"Believe it or not that doesn't come as a surprise to me. But don't worry, you'll fall in love some day." Robert smiled.

"How are you so sure?" Gabriella snapped. Robert was always suggesting such things and Gabriella knew them to be false.

"Well, I know that you are capable of love, for I know that you love your friends and that you care greatly about me. I also know that at the rate you go through men, one of them will end up being the one for you." Robert assured her. Gabriella's expression hardened.

"Well I highly doubt that. I am capable of love, but I am not capable of _falling_ in love." Gabriella retorted. She did not hear Robert's response, for she was already on her way toward the elevator.

She stepped inside and pressed the _8 _button. As the doors closed, Gabriella closed her eyes. She listened to the sound of the elevator climbing up the shaft and wondered if what Robert said was true. She told herself that he was just a crazy old man who didn't know what he was talking about.

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Troy sat back down in his chair and sighed. He looked down at the plethora of papers stacked neatly on top of his mahogany desk. He had a long night of work ahead of him. His phone began to ring and he quickly answered it, grateful for the sudden distraction. 

"Hello, Troy Bolton speaking." He answered.

"T-T-Troy! I…I c-c-can't believe it! T-T-T-Taylor broke up with…with...m-m-me!" Chad's voice cried. Troy sighed, he knew that this would happen.

"Chad, just calm down, alright?" Troy pleaded. As much as he cared about his best friend, he had a lot of work that needed to be done by the next day.

"B-b-but I love her!" Chad blubbered.

"Look, you'll find someone new, okay? I have to go, but, you know where to find me." Troy told his friend.

"O-o-okay. Good…good…goodbye."

Troy gently placed the phone back on its base. He stared at the papers in front of him. He might as well get started now. He picked up the one lying on top and read it aloud.

"William Shakespeare is said to be the greatest playwright of all time. He wrote romantic stories either ending in comedy or tragedy. His most famous piece, Romeo and Juliet, is about a young man and woman from rival families that fall in love. It ends in a heartbreaking tragedy, in which both Romeo and Juliet meet their death. One of Shakespeare's well known comical plays is A Midsummer's Night Dream."

Troy had just begun to teach 9th grade English, and his students had to write a report on William Shakespeare and his greatest stories.

The worst overall part of teaching high school kids was that as a handsome young adult, he was dubbed as the "hot teacher". There were rumors going around that he was a lifeguard, a movie star in disguise, and the most popular rumor of all; that he modeled for Abercrombie and Fitch, but quit to become a teacher.

After almost every class, a girl would run in, claiming to have lost something. After minutes of searching, she would finally leave and join up with her giggling friends.

He read through the rest of the paper, then graded it accordingly. He picked up another, and continued this for hours. He had a certain rhythm to his work, _pick up a paper…read it…grade it…put it in a pile._ It was like that for what seemed like an eternity.

He was taken out of the perfunctory routine by a sudden sharp ringing. It took a few moments until he realized that it was just his phone. He hastily picked it up of the speaker.

"Hello, Troy Bolton speaking."

"Hey, bro. It's Kyle." His brother's voice said.

"Oh, hey man. Why are you calling?" Troy asked.

"Well…I met this girl."

"Dude, you're married! You cannot be having affairs with other women!" Troy commanded disapprovingly.

"Don't worry, I love Claire. I'm not having an affair with another woman. I thought that maybe _you_'d like to go out with the girl I met some time." Kyle immediately stopped talking.

Troy's mind slipped away to the endless homework, reports, and tests that needed immediate grading. "Sorry, but my schedule's pretty tight."

"How about this weekend? You can just grade stuff on Sunday."

"Kyle, as a teacher one has certain responsibilities. And procrastinating does not fall anywhere onto that list! And to add to that I am striving to be a stellar teacher for these students and putting off my work is irresponsible and unwarranted!" Troy yelled.

"Troy, can you put that into normal language? Proper English isn't exactly my 'forte'." Kyle requested. Troy knew that his brother had put air quotes around the word "forte", even though Troy couldn't see him.

"It's irresponsible to slack off when you're a teacher."

"Ohh. Well still, you can afford to procrastinate for just one day."

"Since when have you known me to approve of that? Slacking off isn't _my _forte."

"Ah, but just wait and see, young Skywalker. The force is always with you, just dig deep, and you will find it. Feel the urge to put off your work churning inside of you. Take that urge, and turn it into power. Stand up and say 'I know I have to destroy the Death Star, BUT MAYBE I"LL JUST DO IT TOMORROW!'." His brother said in a Yoda-like voice.

"Okay, fine. I guess I can afford to put off some work for a date Saturday." Troy huffed.

"The force is strong with this one. Troy, I am your brother." Kyle said as Darth Vader, even adding the signature wheezy breath at the end.

"Okay, Darth. I think you've had an overdose on the force." Troy chuckled.

"The force of what?" Kyle inquired.

"The force of Starius-warius-obsessius." Troy laughed.

Kyle proceeded in giving Troy the woman's phone number, then bidding him ado. ("May the force be with you, always." was his farewell.)

Troy set the phone number to the side of his work, picking up where he left off. Every few moments he glanced over at it, as if expecting to burst into flames. He tried to go back to work, but the paper on which he had the phone number of his soon to be date called to him like a siren. Eventually his curiosity overcame him and he snatched up his phone.

He hastily punched in the numbers scrawled on the paper and pressed the cold telephone to his ear. As it was ringing Troy though of what he might say to this mysterious woman.

"Hello?"

Her voice sounded familiar, like a beautiful noise you heard once then wished to hear again until years later, you can no longer remember the beautiful noise in which you wished to hear.

"Um, hi." Troy answered dumbly. He smacked himself in the head. Now she was going to think that he was a boring loser.

"Hi, may I ask whose calling?" The familiar voice demanded.

"Yes you may. This is Troy Bolton, you met my brother and he wanted to set us up on a date." Troy explained, his nerves rattling every word that came from his mouth.

"Oh, yes. Kevin, right?"

"No, his name is Kyle. But pretty close. So…um…you wanna meet up for lunch on Saturday?" He asked.

"Sure, do you know where the restaurant Epicurean Delicacies is?"

Troy thought for a moment, then remembered passing by the eatery earlier that week. "I think I do." He laughed.

"Okay, meet me there at noon. Oh, and I'm Gabriella." She told him. Troy heard a soft click signaling that she had hung up. He gently placed the phone back onto its holder.

_Gabriella_. He liked the way it seemed to mellifluously roll off of his tongue. He quickly turned back to the stack of papers that needed to be done by the next day.

* * *

Gabriella opened the door of her apartment, which was silent. But it usually was, for it was very large. 

"¡Hola, chicas!" Gabriella yelled. A few hello's came from the kitchen. Gabriella ran in and greeted all of her friends. They were seated at the counter that was in the middle of the kitchen, eating strawberries.

"So, you ended it with Gary?" Kelsi asked, pointing to the suitcase standing behind Gabriella. Gabriella nodded.

"Well? Give us details!" Sharpay demanded. The three girls leaned onto the marble table top to hear her story.

"Well he took me to this picnic place, where he made me close my eyes. When I opened them in the sky was written 'Marry me Gabriella?'. Then I told him that I hated him and I kept screaming at him. Then I met this runner." Gabriella told them.

"More details!" Taylor yelled.

"Well, he was really nice. He's married though, so he said that he'd set me up with his brother." Gabriella exclaimed. Sharpay giggled.

"More details!" She screamed.

"So then I gave him my number. After that I went over to Gary's place to get my stuff. While I was there I met this really hot guy." Gabriella smiled.

"Seriously, WE NEED MORE DETAILS!" Taylor yelled.

"Okay, so he's totally cute, but not in a puppy sort of way. Then when I was in the elevator the guy's brother called me and set up a date." Gabriella explained.

"Awesome! Well, you're not the only one with gossip. I decided that I'm tired of having one boyfriend. So now I have three." Sharpay declared.

"Three at once? Are you going to break all three of their hearts at one time?" Kelsi asked.

"Well, I'm going to date all three of them, then choose which one I like best. Then I'll dump the other two. So then I'll be left with the perfect guy. And then a little later I'll dump him and start over again." Sharpay explained.

"Good technique." Taylor complimented her, staring at the ground.

Gabriella noticed that her friend was looking sad. "Taylor, is everything all right?" She asked.

"No, I…never mind. Everything is fine." Taylor insisted.

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**Oooh, whats wrong with Taylor? The world may never know! Haha. So, you like? Please review. I'm begging you, you may not be able to see me but trust me. I'm on my knees. Please though, if you hated it just write "purple socks" in your review. I don't want to read a review sayign how much you thought my story sucked.**

**Next chapter. I don't know when it will come out, but it may take a while because these chapters are hard to write.**


	2. You’re That Girl!

**Hey, sorry its taken so long, but this chapter took FOREVER. Not only did I have to fill it with satisfying drama, but I also had to make it long enough. **

**Okay, so most of you guessed why Taylor was sad, and you were half right. But there is a HUGE surprise coming your way at the end of this chapter...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. Oh, but if I did, the things I'd do with HSM 3!**

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Chapter 2

You're That Girl!

Primping.

It is an odd word, there's no doubt. And some point in their life every girl stops and wonders where in the world it came from. But the peculiarity of the word is not the important part. It's what it means. "To dress or groom oneself with meticulous or excessive attention to detail" are the words chosen by the dictionary. But to a girl it means much more.

To a girl it means you are preparing yourself for something important. It means spending hours trying to find a look that says "I didn't even try that hard, and I still look gorgeous." When in fact you tried so hard, it could make it into the World Records books.

When Gabriella was primping for her date with Troy, she came to the haunting fact that she did not know anything about him. Usually she had some sort of idea of what type of girl a guy was in to, but she had never met Troy.

She thought over what she knew. She had met his brother, Kyle. And since her brother offered to set him up on a date, Troy and his brother must be close. And since they were close, they must have similar tastes. Kyle seemed like he liked girls who were more down to earth, so Troy must share some similar interest.

But they were going to a fancy restaurant, so she had to look…elegantly down to earth? She decided on a knee length silky blue dress. She slipped on her white heels. She then made her make up look more natural, and then pulled her hair into a side ponytail. Perfect.

At that, as bizarre as the word is, is the art of primping.

* * *

Troy checked his watch, it was 11:50. Gabriella should show up soon. He hoped his white button up shirt under a black suit without a tie was suitable for Gabriella.** (haha, his **_**suit**_** is **_**suit**_**able!) **He really wished that she had picked a more comfortable place.

After a few agonizing minutes, he heard a woman's voice say to a waiter, "I'm with Troy Bolton."

Troy slowly turned his head to see what his date looked like. When he finally spotted her, he was amazed. She had gorgeous long, silky dark hair and perfect curves. But most surprisingly, she was also the woman he had run into at his apartment.

The waiter led her to the table and she turned to thank him before turning to Troy. When she saw him, her face looked momentarily shocked, but then she shook it off and sat down.

"You're that girl! The one I met outside of my apartment!" Troy cried excitedly.

"Yes, I am. And you're the guy that hit me in the face with his door." Gabriella laughed.

_This is good. _Thought Gabriella. They had a nice conversation starter.

"So, how did you meet my brother?" Troy asked, that question had been bugging him.

"I, um, ran into him at the park. We talked for a little, then he told me about you. Strange, huh?" Gabriella giggled, forcing her nerves down into her stomach.

"Yeah. Well, what do you recommend to eat here?" Troy asked.

"I don't know, I've never been here." Gabriella giggled again.

"Well, no offense, but I usually prefer more casual spots." Troy admitted. Gabriella smiled, the same was for her. She loved dressing up, but was more comfortable when she didn't have to.

"Yeah, same here. But this was the first place that came to my head." Gabriella laughed. They continued talking until their food arrived, and still they kept their conversations going.

"So then I took the monkey out of his room and washed the pink hair dye off of it. And he hasn't gone fishing since!" Troy laughed. Gabriella clutched her side, for she was laughing so hard that her sides were beginning to hurt.

"Okay, now tell your most hilarious moment." Troy demanded.

"Alright, when I was in college me and my friends would have these things called 'Prank Nights' and they were once a month. We would all play pranks on other people, and then whoever did the best one would win a day at this really expensive spa." Gabriella explained. Troy nodded his head to show that he understood.

"So I decided to call up those people on the infomercials. Well, these people were selling this cleaning product and I called in. They asked me what my question was, and I said 'Well, I want to know if your product will give me the ability to fly when I drink it.' They asked me what I was talking about and I said, 'Well, I've bought 13 different types of cleaning products and drank them all. But the only superpowers they gave me were the ability to walk through walls and super strength. But I want to fly.'."

Troy was laughing so hard that people were starting to stare, and Gabriella was trying to not laugh so she could finish the story.

"Okay, so then they told me that cleaning products were toxic and if I drank them I would be seriously ill. I was like 'Are you calling me mentally deranged? I know I drank those cleaning products and I know what my superpowers are. Now all I want to know is that if I drink your product will I be able to fly.'." Gabriella paused so she could laugh a little.

"The people said 'Well, I don't know. We don't test for that stuff.' And I acted as if I was appalled. I said 'Why would you not test for it? I bet that your product will do something stupid like make me invisible, so you're telling me that you don't know so that I'll buy it just to test it out. Well guess what? I'm not going to buy it, you superpower phonies!'. Then I hung up. On the TV the woman's face was pale." Gabriella laughed hysterically.

"Well, did you win?" Troy asked.

"No. My one friend, Taylor, convinced this guy that the next day was go to class nude day, and he actually showed up to class without a single article of clothing on his body!" Gabriella giggled.

"Wait, did you say that your friend's name is Taylor?" Troy inquired, immediately becoming serious.

"Yeah. Why?" Gabriella said, drawing out the word "yeah".

"No reason, I just…didn't know if I heard you correctly. So, do you have a job?" Troy asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Um, actually no. I'd love to teach high school Chemistry someday, but not for a while. In the mean time, my friend, Sharpay, pays for everything. Her dad's extremely wealthy." Gabriella explained.

"That's funny." Troy laughed.

"What's funny?"

"Well, I just so happen to teach 9th grade English. We're learning about Shakespeare." Troy laughed.

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief. That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she." Gabriella recited.

"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name. So you're a fan?" Troy asked.

"Yes, I'm sort of a fan. So, were you surprised when your brother told you he had set you up?" Gabriella giggled.

"Not really. Kyle's always trying to set me up. He's married to this girl named Claire, and he's totally in love with her. Now he wants me to get married. So he sets me up on countless blind dates. Some of the women were a little…eccentric." Troy laughed.

"Okay, well do you mean strange interests eccentric or walk on their hands eccentric?" Gabriella asked.

"Walk on their hands eccentric."

Gabriella laughed, Troy was very funny. And also very handsome.

After hours of laughing, Troy and Gabriella left. Gabriella sighed to herself as she climbed into her car, he was amazing. Gabriella quickly drove home, silently deciding not to tell her friends about how well they had clicked.

* * *

Robert was in a good mood. His granddaughter was to be married soon, and he could not wait. The lobby doors opened, and he prepared himself to great a guest. He saw that it was just Miss Montez, looking strangely overjoyed.

"Hello, Miss Montez." Robert greeted her. The brunette turned to look at him, and he saw that she had a genuine smile stretched across her face.

"Good evening, Robert. Beautiful night, isn't it? I just had a date with this guy named Troy." Gabriella gushed. Robert smiled, same old Gabriella. But something seemed a little different.

"Miss Montez, do not mind me saying that you are a lot, how do I put it, _sunnier_ than you usually are after a date. Must have been a great guy." He chuckled. Gabriella immediately scowled, and Robert regretted his choice of words.

"Robert I do mind you making such comments, and I believe I told you to stop. The only reason I am 'sunnier' is because this man is interested in me, not the other way around. Now, you should probably go to bed, you're an old man that needs his sleep." Gabriella insisted, even putting air quotes around "sunnier". Gabriella always took offense to his comments, but she never stayed angry for more than a minute.

* * *

As the large elevator took her to her room, Gabriella scolded herself. She actually thought she liked this guy, which was unacceptable.

_You're a part of the Heartbreak Club, so start acting like it! This guy is just like the rest. You will take joy in ripping his heart to shreds. Just imagine his face when you break up with him. He'll be devastated. It makes you feel alive._ Gabriella told herself.

After thinking that, Gabriella was motivated. Troy didn't deserve her, no man did. And she was going to make him pay for even thinking that he had the right to be with her.

_Troy is a loser. Troy is a loser. Troy is a loser._

Gabriella kept repeating that in her head until finally, she felt the hate boiling inside of her. She _hated _Troy Bolton and was going to make his life hell. She didn't even know what she saw in him. She finally came to one simple conclusion.

Troy Bolton deserved to perish.

* * *

Troy paced the floor of his bedroom. "Come on Troy, there's probably fifty girls living in New York whose name is Taylor." Troy assured himself.

But what if it was her. Troy shook his head, it was highly unlikely. He was taken out of his thoughts, though, by his ringing phone. For some reason the ringing sounded urgent, even though it was the same ring as always.

"Hello, Troy Bolton speaking." Troy answered.

"Troy, come over here right now!" Zeke screamed into the phone.

"Dude, where are you?" Troy asked.

"Chad's place. Dude, hurry!" Zeke yelled. Troy didn't even say goodbye. He just hung up the phone and sprinted downstairs. He hailed a cab as fast as he could.

"Where to, sir?" The driver asked him.

"123 Mayboyer Avenue. I'll pay you an extra fifty bucks if you can get me there in under ten minutes!" Troy yelled. The driver immediately drove away at full speed. **(I made up that address.)**

When Troy arrived at Chad's apartment flat, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. But he remembered the panic in Zeke's voice and pressed his finger on the buzzer repeatedly. The doors clicked open and Troy sprinted up the stairs.

"Zeke, open up!" Troy yelled. The door flung open, revealing a panic-stricken Zeke.

"Troy, oh thank god. We have a problem." Zeke yelled.

* * *

Gabriella walked into her apartment. She heard the TV blaring, so she walked over to the room it was in. Taylor, Kelsi, and Sharpay were all watching a horror movie. Sharpay and Kelsi's eyes were glued to the screen, while Taylor's were downcast.

"Taylor, can I—"

"AHHHH!" Both Sharpay and Kelsi screamed.

"GABRIELLA! When people are watching perhaps the scariest scary movie in the history of scary movies, it is not a good idea to sneak up behind them!" Sharpay hissed.

"Oh, sorry. But I wanted to know if I could talk to Taylor in private." Gabriella asked. Taylor looked at Gabriella, and silently got up from the couch. She followed Gabriella into her bedroom.

Once the door was closed, Gabriella looked at Taylor. "Taylor, I know something is wrong. So can you please tell me?" Gabriella begged.

"Look, Gabriella. Everything is fine, alright? You keep asking if I'm okay, when I am perfectly fine! So just drop it, alright?" Taylor yelled. She turned around and exited the room. Gabriella sighed. She was going to find out somehow.

She chased Taylor out of the room. "But Taylor, we're best friends. You can't hide this from me forever!"

* * *

"Oh no no no. This CANNOT of happened!" Troy screamed, staring at what was before him.

"Look, I don't know where he is." Zeke yelled. Chad's apartment was completely trashed, from head to toe. There wasn't a single spot in the area that wasn't covered with something.

Notebook pages were strewn across the floor, along with clothing, broken dishes, and many other things. The walls were cover with food, their broken containers lying in pieces on the ground. Tables were turned over, the TV was smashed, and his couch was covered in holes, allowing the stuffing to escape.

"Do you think he was robbed?" Troy asked. Zeke shook his head and handed him a slip of crumpled paper. Troy read through it.

_Dear anyone who finds this,_

_My life seems inadequate. I hate this apartment with all of my heart. Everything in it reminds me of her._

* * *

"You know what, Gabriella? I'm tired of this! I'm leaving!" Taylor yelled, grabbing her purse and leaving the apartment. When she got down to the sidewalk, she wondered where to go. She decided that a simple walk would be fine.

Taylor wondered why she wasn't telling Gabriella. Gabriella would understand, there was no doubt. Was she embarrassed? Not really.

Maybe it was that Gabriella was the guru of breaking hearts, maybe she'd break those of her friends too. But that also couldn't be it. Gabriella and Taylor had immediately clicked in college. They both had the same terrible high school experience, unlike the other girls, though Taylor's was on a higher scale.

Taylor knew why. She wasn't ready to tell anyone, not that they wouldn't eventually find out. And she was afraid that they would be ashamed and kick her out of the Heartbreak Club. And she had no money, Sharpay paid for everything. She would have nowhere to go, no money to spend.

It was then that Taylor realized that she was crying. She had made a huge mistake, and regretted it with her whole life. Realizing that made her cry even harder, so hard that she had to sit down on a bench because the tears were blurring her vision.

People passing by must be staring. They had to, it was the nature of them. They would stare, then wonder why she was crying, then pity her. That was their nature, stare, wonder, pity.

It was their pity that hurt her the most. Everyone always pities, but never helps. Once she got to college, Taylor had promised herself that she would never let herself be pitied again, but that she would be envied. But here she was, crying so hard that every passerby pitied her.

But Taylor didn't want to be pitied. She wanted someone who was just as sad as she was, whatever the reason, to come and be miserable with her. She didn't want happy people to comfort her, for they were joyous and couldn't relate.

"Taylor?"

Taylor slowly lifted up her head, but her vision was so blurred that all she could see was that someone was standing in front of her, someone who evidently knew her name. Taylor tried to speak, but all that came out was a sob.

"Taylor, why are _you _crying?"

Taylor didn't think that she could cry any harder, but apparently, she could. She no longer cared about the pitying people passing by. **(haha, **_**p**_**itying **_**p**_**eople **_**p**_**assing)** She now knew who was standing in front of her, and it was the last person she needed.

"If anything _I_ should be crying, heck I _was_ crying. But not _you_."

She wished she could explain, but her endless sobs didn't offer room for words. She would just have to wait until her crying died down. But with him standing in front of her, that was near impossible.

"Taylor, you ruined my life. You're the most heartless person I've ever met! You deserve to cry. You deserve to cry for the rest of your life. Oh, wait, are you crying even _harder_? Well, I'm going to stay here making you more miserable by the second."

Taylor wished he would go away. He just made her feel even worse. And he wasn't going to stop. Maybe Gabriella was looking for her, and would tell him to go away? But even if Gabriella was looking for her, by the time she found her she'd be crying for weeks. He was the worst ex anyone could ask for.

"Come on, Taylor. What's wrong? Some guy break your heart? Oh, wait. You don't have a heart. But if you're crying then you must. So, did you finally fall in love with a guy, then have him break _your _heart? Well, he's better off now. Probably found someone new. Someone prettier, nicer, and smarter than you. But that's not too hard to find, now is it?"

She was going to have to say something sometime. She needed him to stop, or else she would never stop crying.

"J-John. Please _hic_ s-stop _hic_ it!" She begged. **(I bet you all thought it was Chad!)** He just laughed. He was enjoying this.

"Come on, Taylor. Let's go. We're gotta get out of the public eye, its too embarrassing to be seen with someone as repulsive as you." He laughed.

When she didn't get up, she felt his hand grab her. His grip was crushing her arm, but she best not complain. He pulled her off of the bench and began to drag her down the sidewalk.

"Hey, what are you doing to her?!"

Taylor's insides warmed a little. She knew that voice. John stopped moving and Taylor could see a man running towards them. But the fact that he was coming made her tears pour out faster.

"Look, don't bother. No one should care about this ugly little bitch. I'm taking her to a place where no one can be disgusted by her hideous face." John laughed. The man grabbed John's hand and removed it from her arm. Taylor fell to the ground, but she quickly stood up.

"Fine. You want her so bad take her, no one else will." John laughed. Taylor walked back to the bench and began to take deep breaths. She needed to stop crying.

Taylor felt him sit down beside her. He placed a hand on her back, which didn't do anything but increase her sadness. She told herself in her mind that she would have to say something.

"I'm _hic_ so _hic_ sor_hic_ry, Chad!" Taylor cried. That was all she could force herself to say. He removed his hand from her back and handed her a tissue. Taylor wiped her eyes repeatedly, trying to wipe away her tears.

"Um, Taylor. Can I ask why you're crying?" He asked. Taylor nodded her head, and resumed her deep breaths. When she got to a point where she could talk, she did.

"My life is terrible. I'm a good person, I really am. I never wanted to do it." Taylor cried.

"Do what?"

"Well, me and my friends do what I did to you…for fun." Taylor explained, ashamed.

"But, why?" He desperately inquired.

"Well, I guess they get a thrill out of it. But all I get is remorse." Taylor knew that her friends would be mad at her for revealing the secrets of the Heartbreak Club to a man, but she needed someone to talk to.

"Do you feel remorse about what you did to…me?" Chad nervously asked.

"A little more than I should." Taylor huffed.

"Taylor, I really need to know. That one night, you remember. Did you mean what you said, about wanting to get married and have a family with me?" Chad asked, staring at the ground. Tears started to fall from Taylor's eyes once again.

"With all my heart." Taylor whispered, so softly that Chad almost didn't hear her.

"Then, why'd you break up with me?" He pleaded.

"Because if I didn't I'd be kicked out of the Heartbreak Club, and they're the only family I have." Taylor whispered once again.

"But, what about your own family? You always told me that they lived in California." Chad asked, confused.

"Don't take this too personally but I don't usually open up to guys because I know that I'm going to have to break up with them eventually. I really did want to tell you, though. My parents and sister died in a car accident when I was 15 years old. They went out to dinner, I stayed home because I was feeling sick. Then I got a call from the police saying…" But Taylor couldn't finish, for she was crying. Chad took her into his arms.

"But, where did you go?" He asked.

"Well, both of my parents were only children, and my grandparents had passed away when I was little. So they sent me to an orphanage. But when I turned 18, I had to leave because I was officially an adult. My birthday is in September, so I turned 18 at the start of the school year. I had to live with one of my friends, but her mom made me pay rent. So I had to juggle school, a job, and working for a scholarship all at once. Because a scholarship was the only way I was going to get into college." Taylor began to cry again, and Chad rubbed her back as if to show that he was there for her.

"Okay, we can stop talking about that for now. You said that you meant that you wanted to get married and have a family with me with all you heart, so…you still love me?" Chad asked hopefully. Taylor wiped her eyes.

"Yes." She said, staring at the pavement.

"Well, then why can't we get back together?" He queried.

"Because of my friends. They'd know if we got back together." Taylor sighed.

"But couldn't we date in secret?"

"No, because they expect me to get a new boyfriend." Taylor moaned. Chad thought for a second, then spoke up.

"I wouldn't care if you were dating someone else, as long as I knew that it was only so you could stay in the Heartbreak Club." He said quietly.

* * *

Gabriella reentered her apartment. She'd been searching for Taylor for a half hour, and there was still no sign of her. She decided that she should tell Sharpay and Kelsi. She walked into the TV room, where they were still watching their movie.

"Hey, guys I—"

"AAAAHHHH!" Sharpay and Kelsi screamed, grabbing onto each other for dear life.

"GABRIELLA MARIA MONTEZ! We already briefed you on what not to do when two people are watching the scariest—"

"Movie in the history of scary movies, I know." Gabriella interrupted Sharpay's speech.

"Well, it's not a smart thing to surprise them." Sharpay insisted. Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Look, guys. Taylor's gone. I can't find her." Gabriella said worriedly.

"Don't worry, she'll turn up by the end of this movie. Speaking of which, we are trying to watch!" Kelsi snapped. She then softened her gaze and patted the space on the couch next to her. Gabriella smiled nervously and sat down.

* * *

"It's not worth it, Chad. I'm going to get kicked out of the Heartbreak Club anyways. There are some things you cannot hide." Taylor sighed.

"What are you talking about?" Chad asked.

"Well, that thing about getting married and starting a family." Taylor said shyly.

"Yeah, what about it?" He inquired.

"It's kind of already been started."

* * *

**OMG! Taylor's pregnant! But most of you got the part about Taylor still loving Chad, so congrats. Anyway, I don't know when I'll update next, but sorry if its not soon. This story is really hard to write.**

**If you have any ideas you want put into the story, put them into your review. If you hated it, say "Purple socks". Please review. I really love reviews, even if they're small.**


	3. Big Surprises and HUGE Surprises

**Okay, this chapter is FINALLY up. The reason it took me so long is because I make sure that every chapter is at least 11 pages long on Microsoft Word. But this one is only 9! I didn't lengthen it because if I did, you all would have to wait until January.**

**The thing with the word at the beginning of the chapter being described my me, which was used at the beginning of Chapter 2 and this chapter, is going to be used at the beginning of most chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own HSM OR the smash hit broadway musical Wicked.**

* * *

Chapter 3

Big Surprises and HUGE Surprises

Pacing.

It is an agonizing task. When one paces, they are worried and agitated. It means they have a reason for concern.

Some may say that pacing is unnecessary, but for many it gives them a sort of sanctuary from their concern. It gives them something to do. And don't suspect that I am suggesting that when you pace, you don't think about your worries, for you do.

Pacing is very hard to explain. It is unneeded, unhelpful, and makes it obvious that you are worried. So why do we do it? Sharpay Evans was asking that same question.

"Gabriella, why do you keep pacing? It won't make Taylor walk through that door any faster!" Sharpay demanded, her voice slightly raised.

Gabriella snapped her head towards her, broken out of her thoughts. She thought about saying something, but concluded that Sharpay would offer no help in this situation. Kelsi had left over an hour ago to meet with her boyfriend.

But none of that really bugged Gabriella, she just wanted to know where her best friend was. She and Taylor had always had a closer bond than they did with Sharpay and Kelsi. They both had lost family members in high school and also both become demeaned as a "geek".

When they met in college, they became fast friends. Gabriella had realized then that Taylor had trust issues, for she refused to tell her about her family. It wasn't until Gabriella told her about her deceased dad that Taylor explained that she had lost her whole family.

Gabriella and Taylor made a pact that they would someday be envied. After that, they met Sharpay and Kelsi, whom they befriended. Ever since then they _had_ been envied, and remained very close.

Reminiscing about their past made Gabriella even more worried. If Taylor went missing, who would she talk to? _Really _talk to. At that moment the sound of a door opening echoed through the apartment. Gabriella rushed to the door.

Taylor was standing there, her face stained with tears. Gabriella stared into her eyes. They were filled with some sort of agonizing joy, it was best that Gabriella didn't yet ask why.

"Taylor!" She screamed, hugging her best friend.

"Hey, Gabriella. Um, where are Sharpay and Kelsi?" Taylor asked, looking around the apartment.

"Oh, Sharpay is baking who knows what and—"

"What I am baking is called crème brulee." Sharpay interrupted, walking out of the kitchen.

"Okay. Sharpay is baking crème brulee and Kelsi is out with her boyfriend, um, Brad I think." Gabriella corrected.

"I thought it was Vlad?" Taylor said, scratching her head.

"No, I'm pretty sure it was Thad." Sharpay corrected.

"Maybe it was Chad?"

"No, I know for sure it's Tad."

"Okay, this is sad."

"I'm getting mad."

"We don't know Kelsi's boyfriend's name? She won't be glad."

"Enough with the rhyming, we don't want to make it the world's next big fad." Gabriella laughed.

"Oh come on, don't be a party pooper, lad."

"I was serious. Stop it or I'll ship you both off to Kaliningrad!" Gabriella snapped.

"Where the hell is that?" Sharpay asked.

"You broke our rhyme chain!" Taylor laughed in a fake horrified voice.

"How dare you, Sharpay. And Kaliningrad is in Russia. It's the only Russian port that stays ice-free year round." Gabriella recited.

"You're too smart." Sharpay laughed. A buzzing noise began to come from the kitchen, and all three were puzzled.

"Oh my god, my crème brulee!" Sharpay screamed excitedly. She sprinted to the oven.

"If she makes us eat it, I call dibs on throwing it up in the bathroom first." Gabriella laughed.

"She's a maneater…"

"Um, Gabriella? Your phone." Taylor picked up Gabriella's cell and snickered as she looked at the caller ID. She handed it to Gabriella, still laughing.

"Hello?" Gabriella answered sweetly.

"HOW DARE YOU!" A strong male voice echoed.

"Oh, hi Gary. What did I dare to do?" Gabriella sneered in a mock happy tone.

"That answering machine message?"

"Yeah, what about it." Gabriella asked, uninterestedly.

"Why'd you leave it?" Gary demanded to know.

"Oh, it was just a…how do I put this… _parting gift_ for you." Gabriella scoffed.

"Yeah, well your 'parting gift' lost me a job offer!" Gary screamed.

"Well, then I did them a favor. Oh, I have to go. My new _boyfriend _is calling me." Gabriella sneered, putting emphasis on the word "boyfriend". She hung up her phone.

Now Gary thought that she had a new boyfriend, when Troy and her weren't even technically dating yet. And Troy hadn't even been calling her, their date had ended just hours before. She decided to retire for the night, best before Sharpay finished her "masterpiece" and forced them all to eat it.

* * *

Dreaming was good. It allowed Gabriella to escape her life and be free. In this particular dream, she was getting married. She was in a floor length dress and her hair was tied back in a simple but elegant manner.

She reached the altar, and her groom turned to look at her. She was surprised to see that her soon to be husband had no face. She turned to the priest, and was once again shocked to find that it was Robert standing before her.

"I'm sorry Gabriella. You've dated every man in the world. This one is the perfect one for you. But all of the rest of the men in the world seek revenge." Robert sighed, shaking his head.

For some reason, a reason that she could not understand, she felt disappointed at the man in front of her. He was not who she wanted him to be, but it was not for the fact that he was missing a face. It was for a reason she couldn't place.

The doors suddenly burst open, and all of her exes came running through. They were all carrying pitchforks and knives. The whole lot was being led by Gary, who for some reason was carrying his answering machine, which was playing her recording over and over.

They all charged for the faceless man. "NOO!" Gabriella screamed. She was not going to let these imbeciles destroy the man that she was to be wed with until death. She tried to grab one of their shirts, but her hand went straight through them.

Soon she realized that she could not move, no matter how much she kicked and flailed. One of the men had the faceless man over their shoulder, heading towards the door. Gabriella tried to chase after them, but she still couldn't move.

"Gabriella. Gabriella! GABRIELLA!" Someone screamed. Gabriella's eyes shot open and she flailed her limbs, trying desperately to break through her bindings.

"Gabriella, calm down. You're not tied up or anything. Just wrapped up in your sheets." The voice laughed.

Gabriella focused her eyes and realized that Taylor was sitting on her bed. Gabriella sat up, red flushing to her cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak, but Taylor interrupted.

"Gabriella, I need to talk to you. But it'd be best if you would just sit down and listen. Don't talk until I'm finished." Taylor commanded her. Gabriella obediently closed her mouth.

"There's something I need to tell you. And I know you won't be happy about it, I mean you hate guy's guts. But anyway, I'm…um…I'm still…well…I'm still with Chad." Taylor gulped. Gabriella's mouth fell open.

Never in Heartbreak Club history had a girl ever failed to end it with a guy. This was a first.

"And there's another thing. I'm…uh…will you promise not to tell the other two?" Taylor asked nervously. Gabriella nodded her head, remaining silent.

"Okay. Well…you'll be disgusted most likely. But…um…well…Chad and I…we're…having a…um…baby." Taylor stared at Gabriella's bed sheet as if she had to memorize its pattern.

"You're…p-pregnant with Ch-Chad's…B-BABY?! Didn't you use protection?" Gabriella asked, her voice getting a little too high. Taylor stood up, bravery and anger flushing to her cheeks.

"Listen, Gabriella. I don't care what you think. I purposely got pregnant. I just thought you might like to know, alright? Go ahead, kick me out of the Heartbreak Club. I don't care. I'll move in with Chad. Who, by the way, _knows_ about the club." Taylor yelled. Gabriella shut her mouth and considered her next words.

"Taylor, I'm fine about you and Chad. And I'm fine about the baby. And as much as I don't like the fact that you revealed our secret to Chad, I understand why you did it. And you're still my best friend. I'll try to hide the truth about your growing stomach for as long as I can." Gabriella calmly promised. Taylor smiled and hugged her.

"Oh, thank you, Gabi!" She smiled. Gabriella looked at Taylor's stomach.

"So, what month is it?" She asked.

"Just month one." Taylor smiled.

"My crème brulee is served." Laughed Sharpay as she walked into the room, holding two dishes and spoons. She placed one dish in front of Taylor and the other in front of Gabriella.

"Um, about eating this, Sharpay. No offense, but your other cooking creations haven't always turned out perfectly." Gabriella shyly admitted.

"They haven't turned out eatable either." Taylor mumbled.

"I know. But not this time. Just try it." Sharpay smiled, handing them both spoons.

Gabriella broke the caramelized surface and spooned some of the crème brulee into her mouth. It was…delicious.

"Sharpay, how did you learn to cook like this?" Taylor asked incredulously.

"Well, I enrolled in cooking school. Because I was tired of you guys throwing up everything I cook. I met this guy there, and he taught me how to make crème brulee!" She squealed.

"Is there any chance you…like this guy?" Gabriella asked, smiling.

"Ew, no. He's not my type. We're just friends." She answered, walking out of the room.

"Well, Gabi, you better get your sleep." Taylor smiled.

"And you need to put that baby to bed!" Gabriella laughed. Taylor got up out of the room. Gabriella closed her eyes and soon she was in a deep slumber.

* * *

Chad had quite a few problems.

Problem 1: His girlfriend was going to have to start dating another guy while she was still dating him.

Problem 2: His girlfriend was pregnant, which wasn't even close to being a problem. The problem was that she would have to move in with him once her friends realized she was pregnant.

Problem 3: He just trashed his apartment, which his girlfriend would soon have to move in to.

Problem 4: When he returned to his apartment, Troy Bolton and Zeke Baylor were waiting for him.

"Chad, are you crazy?!" Troy screamed the moment Chad got through the door. Chad closed his eyes.

"Troy, please stop yelling. I need to tell you two something." He said calmly.

"Look, dude. You need to get over Taylor. She's not worth your time." Zeke comforted him, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"WHAT?! Of course she's worth my time! I love her!" Chad screamed. He was infuriated that they would even have the nerve to talk about Taylor like that. She only broke up with him for the fear of being alone.

"Hey, man. Don't get all angry. The truth is that Taylor doesn't love you back. You just need to accept it. She's a worthless pile of shit, breaking your heart like that." Troy said in a consoling voice. Chad clenched his fists.

"I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU TWO! I came here to tell you two that Taylor and I are back together. The only reason she broke up with me was because of…a misunderstanding! She apologized to me and now were dating again. But I guess you're not happy about that, seeing that you think she's a WORTHLESS PILE OF SHIT!" He yelled, thinking of a fake reason why Taylor had broken up with him.

"What, are you serious?" Troy asked, a smile forming on his face. But Chad was too angry to see his friend's joy.

"Yeah, I am. And I guess you also don't care that she's going to have a baby, and that I'm the father! I guess you don't care that I'm planning on asking her to marry me. Well, guess what? I don't care about you two. NOW GET OUT!" He demanded, pointing towards the door.

"But—"

"No buts! JUST LEAVE!"

Troy and Zeke walked out, their heads hanging low. Chad sighed, and walked over to sit on his couch. It was then that he realized his fifth problem, he had an enormous mess to clean up and no one to help him.

* * *

Gabriella was shocked. Gabriella was surprised. Gabriella was amazed. Gabriella was confuddled. Gabriella was flabbergasted. Gabriella was stunned. Gabriella was astonished.

At the least, Gabriella was bewildered. She looked at the phone in her hand as if it were a magical, talking, flying, singing, gorgeous, rainbow unicorn that had just jumped out of her TV and informed her that she was really from Magical Talking Flying Singing Gorgeous Rainbow Unicorn Land.

"Troy? You're calling me? The _day after _our date?" She asked. Something was not right. Guys weren't supposed to call until three days after a date. And here was Troy, _calling _her the _day after_ their date.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is this a bad time or something?" He asked, worried.

"N-no! It's just that I'm a bit surprised, that's all." Gabriella explained. She flattened her hair, as if he could see her through the phone.

"Oh, well I just called to talk." He told her. Gabriella sensed the stress in his voice, and realized that something must of gone wrong.

"What's wrong?" She asked, concerned about him. No, she wasn't _really_ concerned. Well, at least that's what she told herself.

"Well, my friend had this girlfriend that broke up with him, but then they got back together and everything. But I didn't know, and insulted his girlfriend. Now he's mad at me. What should I do?" He asked desperately.

"Well, how badly did you insult her?"

"I called her a worthless pile of shit." He answered, obviously embarrassed.

"Well, just tell him that you didn't know that they had gotten back together and that you would have _never_ insulted her like that if you'd known." Gabriella suggested.

"Oh, that sounds good. So, um, are you free Wednesday?"

"Um, I'm not sure, why?" Gabriella asked, rolling her eyes. He was just like all the other pathetic pushovers in the world, asking her on a date the day after their first one.

"Because the ninth grade class is having a field trip to go see the broadway Wicked, and they gave me an extra ticket. I was going to ask Kyle, but then I remembered you saying how you always wanted to see that show. So, do you want to come?" He asked. Gabriella's heart sped up.

"Oh my GOD! WICKED! Of course I'll go!" She screamed excitedly.

"Okay, good. Meet me at the Gershwin Theater at 1:30 on Wednesday." Troy instructed her. **(A/N The Gershwin Theater is the actual theater in NYC that Wicked shows at.)**

"I'll be there!" Gabriella squealed. She hung up the phone and ran into the living room, where Sharpay, Kelsi, and Taylor were.

"OH MY GOD, you guys! Troy is taking me to see WICKED!" She screamed.

"That's so awesome! Haven't you, like, always wanted to see that?" Kelsi asked.

"With my whole entire heart! There are some serious perks to dating him." Gabriella smiled. Sharpay scrunched up her face.

"Speaking of dating guys, Taylor, you haven't gotten a new boyfriend yet. Let's go out tonight and get one for you!" Sharpay suggested. Taylor's face lost all of its color and she ran out of the room.

"Oh, um, she told me last night that she was feeling feverish. I'll go check on her." Gabriella explained, standing up and running after Taylor. She went into Taylor's room to find her sitting on her bed, crying.

"Taylor, you don't have to get a new boyfriend. We'll make up an excuse." Gabriella promised, placing a hand on Taylor's back.

"No, I have no choice." Taylor said slowly.

* * *

Chad was having a bad day. He had spent the whole morning cleaning his house, and not even nearly half of it was done. He thought his day couldn't get worse. His phone began to ring, and he made his way through the piles of junk.

"Hello?"

"Chad, it's Taylor." She said. Chad could hear the sadness in her voice.

"Taylor, what's wrong?" He asked, he was terribly worried.

"I-I have to get a new boyfriend tonight. I know you said that you were okay with me dating another guy if it was just to remain in the Heartbreak Club, but I don't think I can do it."

Chad knew she was crying. His heart fell at her tears.

"Taylor, you have to. If you want to stay in the Heartbreak Club, then you have to. I understand your sacrifice. I'm mad, yes. But not at you. I'm mad at your friends for forcing you to do this." Chad comforted her.

"Alright, I'll do it. But I want you to know, I'm still in love with you."

"I love you too. I have to go, my apartment is a mess." Chad laughed.

"Alright, bye."

Chad thought wrong.

* * *

**I feel really bad doing this to Taylor, but it makes for a good story. The rhyming thing was just random, I have no idea where the idea for it came from. Please review, but no hate reviews.**


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